Count Joe Harris as among those who’ve been awed and inspired by the work ethic of Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James.
Harris had a front row seat in seeing how James work behind the scenes back when the ex-Virginia guard was teammates with the four-time league MVP for over a season in Cleveland. Speaking to CBS Local’s Ryan Mayer, Harris can’t help but wax poetic of James’ dedication to getting better despite already being widely regarded as this generation’s best basketball player.
“There are so many things being around him where you’re just kind of in awe of the way that he plays and you marvel at his confidence, the ease that he plays with and, just how talented he is,” said Harris. “But, the stuff behind the scenes is, the guy is so incredibly diligent and dedicated from the moment he wakes up to the moment he goes to sleep that everything that he does is to make him a better basketball player.
Harris was selected by the Cavaliers 33rd overall in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, and played for 56 games across two seasons for the team. He was part of the Cavs team that went to the 2015 NBA Finals and lost to the Golden State Warriors before Cleveland traded him the following season to the Orlando Magic in exchange for cash and a 2020 protected second round pick. After getting waived by Orlando in January of 2016, Harris hooked up with the Brooklyn Nets a few months later, signing a two-year $2.03 million deal. He has a career average of 8.2 points per game.
Harris is aware that he’s not far from being the same superstar as James, but having seen someone of James’ status putting up work appears to push the 26-year-old shooting guard to #StriveForGreatness.
